Oklahoma Sooners swipe transfer portal tight end from SEC foe

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The 2026 transfer portal closes on Friday night, and while teams can still sign players that are in the portal after it closes, the Oklahoma Sooners wasted no time making their presence felt on the final day of the madness.

OU landed a commitment from former Tennessee tight end Jack Van Dorselaer on Friday morning. He is the first commitment for new Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten, who was officially announced for his new role on Thursday. Not only does Witten swipe a TE from another SEC program, he is robbing his alma mater to help the Sooners.

Van Dorselaer was a true freshman for the Volunteers last year, and he arrives in Norman with three more years of eligibility remaining. He played in every game in 2025, and is from Southlake Carroll High School in Texas. He’ll bring more size to a rebuilt TE room, as he stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 245 pounds.

Van Dorselaer caught five passes for 23 yards and a touchdown for the Vols last year, but he was a four-star prospect coming out of high school. His youth will be important for a tight end room that looks totally different this year.

Witten has replaced Joe Jon Finley as the TEs coach for the Sooners, but the rebuild started before Witten was even hired. Seniors Jaren Kanak and Will Huggins have exhausted their collegiate eligibility, and both Kaden Helms (to Minnesota) and Carson Kent (to Pittsburgh) have transferred out of the program. With hours left before the portal is closed, the Sooners are currently set to be returning Kade McIntyre, John Locke Jr., and Trynae Washington. They also signed Ryder Mix and Tyler Ruxer in the 2026 recruiting class.

However, the tight end position in 2026 will be run by the newcomers in the portal, as Van Dorselaer joins Florida transfer Hayden Hansen and Colorado State transfer Rocky Beers near the top of the depth chart in Norman. It certainly appears that the Sooners are done settling for mediocrity at tight end, as that’s the way it’s been at that spot for the past three seasons.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: New tight ends coach Jason Witten lands first commitment with Sooners

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